Jiménez draws level before suspension

Miguel Angel Jiménez and Brett Rumford were tied for the lead on ten under par when the third round of the Ballantine's Championship was suspended for the day due to bad weather in Korea.

Heavy downpours and the threat of lightning forced the players off the Blackstone GC Course just as the leaders had completed their front nine.

Australian Rumford had held a three shot lead at the halfway stage but while he could only complete a level par 36 on the front nine, 47 year old Jiménez fired three birdies to turn in 33.

That wiped out the deficit, and saw the duo pull two clear of Wales' Rhys Davies, who was three under through ten - a 20 foot putt at the fifth completing a run of three birdies in four holes.

Spaniard Jiménez made the perfect start to the day with consecutive birdies at the first and second, where his superb approach was within four feet, and The Ryder Cup star birdied the eighth from 15 feet.

"I played very well the first nine holes," he said. "Hitting it very well - no bogeys, three birdies.

"Birdied the first and second hole, played very well those two holes.

"Tomorrow, play 27 holes, feel good. I feel fine. Tomorrow is a marathon."

Rumford, who did well to salvage par after his drive at the first ended up down by the ninth green after rolling down a path, was pleased to have clung on to his score.

"That was some tricky pins out there today," he said. "They were placed up on the top part of all the tiers and ridges, and it was pretty tricky trying to get on the right tier.

"You had to be very, very precise. But stayed patient, hit some nice golf shots but unfortunately just kept hitting nice golf shots to about 40, 50 feet."

World Number One Lee Westwood was two under through 12, the Englishman advancing to six under - although he had just hooked his tee shot way off line at the 13th and was set to return to a difficult second shot.

After an hour of further heavy rain, play was abandoned for the day. Round three will resume at 0800 on Sunday.